10 years of Dr. Oetker in Mexico - Don’t forget the chili!

When your face turns red, sweat starts to bead on your forehead, your eyes begin to water, and talking becomes difficult, even Mexicans will admit: “Wow! – This chili sauce is really too spicy for me.” The key difference from, let’s say, the rest of the world is this: Mexicans then take that very sauce and pour it generously over their food.

“Chilies are inseparable from Mexican cuisine, and even children love them. There are candies with chili powder, and people love snacking on potato chips or nuts topped with chili sauce,” says Eligio Cozzoli. After eight years at cameo (that's what Dr. Oetker is called in Italy), he joined Dr. Oetker in Querétaro, Mexico in 2016 as Head of Marketing, where he grew to love not only the culinary chili diversity but now calls himself a “Mexitalian”.

A perfect match

When Eligio Cozzoli started here, Dr. Oetker had just entered the Mexican food market (2015) with the acquisition of D'Gari. Everything was new. The goal was to consolidate, restructure, and shape things. The good thing about it: Dr. Oetker and D'Gari had a lot in common. They are characterized by the culture of a family business and operate as branded goods manufacturers with a strong brand and market-leading positions in their segments.

Querétaro, the capital of the state of Querétaro, is a strategically important location due to its proximity to Mexico City and good highway connections, enabling fast distribution of our products within the country.

Over the past ten years, our Mexican colleagues have continued to build on the already strong market positions that existed before the acquisitions – D’Gari was already the market leader in jelly desserts, and Rexal led in baking powder, though the latter was only sold in northern Mexico. “We wanted to build a closer connection with our consumers and spark even greater enthusiasm for our products and services,” says Cozzoli. No sooner said than done: The team invested time and money into products, inspiring recipes, targeted product distribution, stronger retail presence, sampling campaigns, and much more. 

"In all our activities, we focus on offering exactly what our consumers are looking for," says Eligio Cozzoli. This is paying off. Today, D'Gari and Rexal are even more popular than they were ten years ago.

What makes Dr. Oetker mexico unique?

Humberto Arturo Varela Ochoa has worked for D’Gari for 19 years and played a key role in the transition to Dr. Oetker. He started as a Sales Manager and has been Managing Director since mid-February 2016.

“We’re proud of our roots and, as part of Dr. Oetker, we’re forging new paths to give millions of consumers and employees a ‘taste of home’. Our products change the lives of many families: For example, many single parents sell their homemade gelatin-based desserts to support their children’s upbringing and education. Over the past ten years, we’ve celebrated successes and overcome challenges – especially in blending German and Mexican cultures. Today, we combine the best of both worlds, and our business keeps growing. We’re looking ahead to the next ten years, to new generations, technologies, and trends. We’re ready, always with the goal of ‘Creating a Taste of Home’ for everyone.”

Jelly from D'Gari

Jelly is an integral part of celebrations, such as birthdays or other occasions – sharing is part of the culture. The D'Gari brand is particularly popular, with over 30 varieties, including classics like lime, strawberry, grape, pineapple, and rompope (reminiscent of eggnog). Seasonal varieties like churros or watermelon – the latter with chili, please – are also popular. Whether mixed with water or milk, with or without sugar, there's something for every taste. The Mexican version is significantly firmer than the wobbly version in Germany – this is not just about taste, but also about pragmatism: many people earn additional income with homemade jelly.

Jelly tasting in Research and Development at D'Gari

Dessert entrepreneurs as a target group

“These small dessert entrepreneurs are a large and important target group for us. Almost every Mexican knows someone who makes money selling homemade desserts to family, friends, and other consumers. We support them wherever we can,” says Eligio Cozzoli. Dessert entrepreneurs create true works of jelly art – adding encapsulated fruits or layering different flavors. The firm texture is key for stability and long shelf life without refrigeration. Other key success factors of the mixes are flavor, variety, and especially value for money – since many in Mexico live on relatively low incomes.

On the D’Gari website and social media, Dr. Oetker offers fans inspiring recipe ideas. Those already running or aspiring to run a dessert business will also find valuable business tips. This “all-around support” is well received. Many share their dessert moments with D’Gari, revealing a strong emotional connection to the brand: “It’s full of energy and emotion when consumers and entrepreneurs share their compliments, creations, and stories about how our products have helped them in difficult life situations,” says Eligio Cozzoli.

The Team from Dr. Oetker Mexico

Rexal: Baking powder with tradition

What gelatin desserts are to D’Gari, baking powder is to Rexal. They have delighted Mexicans for 95 years – “even though they don’t really enjoy baking and tend to use the oven more as a storage space for all kinds of pans,” laughs Eligio Cozzoli. Mexicans love cakes and sweet flavors in general. They prefer flavored water over plain, and even beer and wine tend to taste sweeter. – Maybe it’s a balance to the spicy chili sauces? “In Mexico, we prefer to buy ready-made cakes rather than baking them ourselves. The selection in supermarket bakeries is large and affordable,” says Eligio Cozzoli. So then, what is baking powder used for? “Here, we tend to cook more in a pan or fry in a pot. Our baking powder is much more often used to prepare tortillas, pancakes, and traditional dishes like tamales,” explains Eligio Cozzoli.

Rexal offers its baking powder in cans of 50g, 100g, 150g, 250g, and 500g
as well as in 15kg bags! Each package also clearly states what it can be used
for: “Polvo para hornear capear y esponjar” – “Baking powder for breading and leavening.”

From sweet to spicy: the Rexal recipe world

That sounds delicious! Browsing the Rexal website, we discover an almost endless selection of tempting recipes. Many are sweet, but there’s also plenty of savory dishes. With the latter, the other typically Mexican preference we mentioned earlier shows up again. If it’s savory, “please don’t forget the chili!” 

For more information please contact: